Scorpius wished he could say it had been easy to avoid James, but really, the Potter household was rather small, and they stupidly did everything together. Breakfasts, dinners, board games. It was difficult to find time alone with Al to just relax. Although James did a wonderful job of acting like he hadn't thrown Scorpius in the pond and returned his kiss and then called him a snake.

Seeing him now, well after midnight, looking disheveled... Scorpius wishes he'd thought to conceal himself or something. He's just standing there, one of Harry's books in his arms.

"Dunno," he says, defensively, looking back to the book, pretending it was far more interesting than it really was. "Aren't you supposed to be upstairs asleep?" That's what Al had said earlier, anyway. Had James snuck out?